An everlasting pioneer: the story of Antirrhinum research

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Abstract

Despite the tremendous success of
Arabidopsis thaliana, no single model can
represent the vast range of form that is
seen in the ~250,000 existing species of
flowering plants (angiosperms). Here,
we consider the history and future of an
alternative angiosperm model — the
snapdragon Antirrhinum majus. We ask
what made Antirrhinum attractive to the
earliest students of variation and
inheritance, and how its use led to
landmark advances in plant genetics and
to our present understanding of plant
development. Finally, we show how the
wide diversity of Antirrhinum species,
combined with classical and molecular
genetics — the two traditional strengths
of Antirrhinum — provide an opportunity
for developmental, evolutionary and
ecological approaches. These factors
make A. majus an ideal comparative
angiosperm.